In April, NASA announced plans to “donate” four space shuttles to American museums for about $30 million apiece. That’s a bit steep for armchair astronauts, but a surprising amount of semi-affordable space stuff goes to auction each year.
Here are four recently sold items.
Space Suit
The Apollo-Soyuz Test Project was the first joint space mission between Russian and American astronauts. Soyuz 19’s commander, Alexei Leonov, wore this suit. Mission: Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, 1975 Price Tag: Sold for $242,000 at Bonhams
Vostok 3KA-2 capsule
The Vostok 3KA-2 went on the final test flight before Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space. Its crew was a mannequin and a dog. Mission: 1961 Price Tag: Sold for $2,882,500 at Sotheby’s
Gemini Rocket Engine
This rocket engine, which helped propel the three-day, manned Gemini 9A mission, sold for three times the amount of a similar Gemini 5 engine that had never been in space. Mission: Gemini 9A, 1966 Price Tag: Sold for $12,650 at Christie’s
Mercury Hatch Shingle
A chimp named Enos was the only passenger on Mercury-Atlas 5, NASA’s last test flight before John Glenn orbited Earth. Mission: Mercury-Atlas 5, 1961 Price Tag: Sold for $43,700 at Christie’s